Theirs
by spideysz
Summary: Dick Grayson can say whatever he wants, he is not going to stop her from doing this. Nobody is - not him, not Bruce, not the Justice League. It doesn't matter what it takes, Barbara Gordon is going to help save this city. Whether it be through Catwoman or Alfred Pennyworth, she will make a difference - and maybe she can get her best friend back along the way.
1. The Park

The sound of youthful giggles and tired sighs drafted through the open air. The brightly colored playground was covered in kids running about, as parents sat on the outside benches surrounded by lush greenery. Some were reading, others tending to scraped knees and nosebleeds – but one Alfred Pennyworth sat stiffly, watching two children intently.

His sharp eyes darted swiftly around the park, following the pair as they raced as fast as their legs would carry them. He caught only glimpses of cardinal and raven hair rushing back and forth, the two often switching between short games of tag and hide n' seek. He could feel a smile tugging at his lips watching the boy stop his friend, face contorted in a laugh while he ushered her over to the monkey bars.

Dick had officially been a part of Bruce and his new little family for eight months. Alfred has been responsible for taking him and the commissioner's daughter to this very park every week for seven of those eight months. The girl, Barbara, had been Dick's first friend in Gotham. The two had met at the police department a week following the tragedy with the boy's parents. Dick had clung to Bruce's pant leg whimpering, and Barbara hid shyly behind her father. Despite the slight language barrier, the children were quick to grow close. They took any opportunity to just sit and color in one of the manor's sitting rooms or run around in the garden.

The park, however, was their absolute favorite place. It was special. The monkey bars and copious number of trees allowed Dick to show off his acrobatics, which always enthralled the young girl. It gave them space the manor's garden didn't, where they could play without the worry of ruining any flowers or bushes. It was the place where he saw Dick smile for the first time.

Barbara sat on the platform behind the monkey bars, feet swinging happily. Alfred watched her eyes gaze towards Dick, who was climbing onto the juxtaposed ladder, hands grabbing onto the first bar. He tested it, swinging gently, before pushing his legs through the middle of two bars and positioning himself on the top. She watched eagerly. He stood up, feet diagonally balanced, and pushed himself off. He flew through the air, flipping thrice, before landing with a twist. His eyes were alight with passion, and he let himself stretch slightly on the patch of grass he landed in. Barbara stood up quickly, her face glowing with a wide smile, clapping.

"Thank you, thank you." He bowed lightly, laughing through his words. "I'm here all week."

"That was so good, Dickie! It looked like you were actually flying!" She jumped off the platform, scurrying over to him.

"Yeah, aha, it can feel like it too." He smiled, hand rubbing at the nape of his neck. It never felt like it did in the big top, but practicing here made Gotham seem a little more like home.

"Really? That's so neat! My coach never lets us do anything on the bars, she keeps us on the floor doing stupid somersaults and stuff. You must feel like-like Superman!" She exclaimed, starting to pull him over to the bench where Alfred sat.

"Well, I guess," He stops as he gets in front of his butler, grinning at him sheepishly.

"Master Dick, that was quite a display out there. I'm surprised the sound of jaws hitting the floor did not cause an earthquake."

"Sorry Alfred, but Babs wanted to see a trick and I'm better wit-"

"Wasn't that the coolest thing?" Barbara cuts in, her hands making frantic gestures. "He was like – and then he – and then he goes – and then he lands like!"

"It certainly was a quality performance, Miss Gordon. Now, are you two getting hungry?" He saw their heads nod in confirmation. "What sounds like it would make a nice lunch?"

He watched as Barbara bit her lip and smiled and Dick slowly formed a wide grin. They glanced at each other before looking up to him enthusiastically.

"ICE CREAM!"

. . .

Alfred sat stiffly under the umbrella of one of the shop's outdoor tables, watching the kids eat their snack eagerly. They chatted happily, chomping into the treat as if punctuating their sentences. He grimaced as he watched it drip out of the cones, soak through the napkins, and end up on their clothes.

As they ate, rings of messy color began forming around their mouths. Brown covered Barbara's chin and skirt, and pink had managed to end up in the ends of Dick's hair. They were an absolute wreck, and they didn't seem to mind. They continued to laugh and giggle to themselves, focused on nothing but each other. Despite the growing mess, Alfred couldn't help but find it cute.

As quietly as he could, he pulled out the camera from his bag. He stood up silently, backing away a few feet from the small table. He positioned the lense to get the two in frame, and prepared his fingers on the necessary buttons. Smiling, he called out to the pair:

"Master Dick, Miss Gordon…Cheese!"

* * *

The two wide-eyed faces sat framed on her bedside table. Barbara laid on her stomach in her bed, legs rocking gently in the air. With her earbuds residing in her ears, she held her phone on her pillow, the face of her best friend grinning at her from the small screen.

They hadn't had the chance to see each other much lately – Dick had been busy doing rich kid "Adopted son of Bruce Wayne" things, and she had been trying to focus more on her schoolwork and gymnastics to keep up with the requirements of her scholarship. Talking with him outside the confines of their lunch period was relieving, in a way.

"Well, yeah, the sand thing was kinda stupid, but the last movie was sick. You can't deny that." He tests.

"One movie can't wash away the sins of an entire trilogy, Grayson. For being part of one of the biggest franchises in history, you'd think they'd do better." She retorts, rolling over to rest her head on the pillow and hold her phone up in the air.

"But that moment when he takes his first breath as Vader? That KRssHH sound? That was i-con-ic!" He exclaims. "It was his transition from Anakin to Darth Vader. That's so important!"

Before she could respond, a voice cuts in. _That_ voice, the same voice who had been interrupting them for the past half hour. Barbara resisted the urge to roll her eyes and waited for him to say whatever he felt was so important.

"Are you guys talking about _Star Wars_? Dude, c'mon!" It cries.

"It's none of your business, leave me alon-" Dick's voice gets muffled as the phone moves abruptly. She can't see anything other than a yellow blur for a moment, until the camera focuses in one a face.

In replacement of Dick, now stood a ginger Barbara couldn't recognize. His hair was somewhat spikey, falling lightly over his forehead, and freckles dotted his cheeks. He had a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Now who were you talking to, Robbie?" He smirks, shifting his focus to the picture on the screen. "Wow, you didn't tell me she's hot, Rob!" He whistles. "How ya doin', pretty lady?"

Barbara grimaces slightly. She opens her mouth to react, but the camera is suddenly yanked in another direction. Dick, red-faced, once again stands in the ginger's place.

"I-uh, uhm, sorry about that." He apologizes, smiling gently. "Wally can get really ANNOYING." He glances away from her at the last word, and she faintly hears a laugh in the background. Dick shakes his head. "Anyway-"

Barbara heard an eerily familiar gruff voice enter the background. The screen suddenly went black, and her phone notified her that the call had ended.

That was…odd. Dick hardly ever just hung up on her like that. Deciding it must have been poor connection issue, she resolved to try and call him back. Her fingers quickly found his contact again, and pressed the call button. The phone rang quietly for a few moments, before she heard the voice of her best friend.

"Hey-" A smile grew on her face, of course he wouldn't- "If you're listening to this, that means that the totally popular Richard Grayson is _too_ popular to talk to you right now. He'll get back to you as soon as he can." Her smile quickly disappeared.

After four attempts and two minutes of quiet ringing and voicemails, she gave up. Apparently he wasn't as keen on talking to her as she was with him. Letting out a frustrated groan, she let her phone slip out of her hand onto the bed next to her, and flopped harshly back on the pillow. She let her eyes flutter open to stare at the ceiling above her.

Maybe he was just busy – that would make sense. The voice at the end had sounded like Bruce, and if he was at the manor in the middle of the day, something had to be happening. As she thought about it, she dismissed the idea. Wherever Dick was didn't look like _any_ room in the manor. She hadn't heard Alfred at all either, and he would have usually made an appearance by then.

Was he at Wayne Enterprises? Probably not. There wouldn't be another teenager with him there at the office. Unless Bruce had let him invite a friend? Would he really invite somebody else over her? She thought she was his best friend. Was that why he hadn't been talking to her as much? Was she being replaced?

Barbara was going crazy. Dick wouldn't replace her. Something had just came up. He's been busy lately, and she isn't his priority right now. That's fine. That's normal. But that doesn't make it any less upsetting. She missed him.

Seeing him at school is nice, but she couldn't help but long for the times when they weren't seen without each other for more than an hour. They hadn't even been to their park in months. She knew they were just growing up and growing apart. But she didn't want them to grow apart, no matter how many times her dad says it's normal. She wants her best friend back.

She took a deep breath out through her nose and pushed herself up. She grabbed her phone and put it on her nightstand to charge, and numbly walked over to her lamp to turn off her lights. Once in the dark, she roamed back over to her bed and collapsed. She needed a nap.

* * *

Barbara rubbed her eyes softly as she approached the school. It doesn't matter how far into the school year it is, she'll never get used to the stupidly early starting time. It was almost cruel. She could never understand how kids could pull all-nighters and not collapse in the middle of class.

She still had some time before first block, so she headed over to her lunch table where Dick sat with Artemis and Bette, each of them chewing on cinnamon buns. She smiled at the group and waved as she grew closer.

"Hey, guys." She greeted, tossing her bag on the ground and sliding in beside Bette. She grabbed a bun from the center of the table and took a bite. "And these are courtesy of…?"

"Moi." Dick grinned proudly before letting out a gentle laugh. "It sure took you long enough to get here, huh?"

"Listen here, Grayson. Not all of us have the superhuman power of running on no sleep like you do." She cracked, finishing off her cinnamon bun.

She heard the sound of the bell ring in her ears, signaling five minutes until first. She reached down and grabbed her backpack, slinging it over her shoulder. She waited for Dick to get his things before standing up and walking with him, saying a quick goodbye to Artemis and Bette.

They made it to her first period, Dick walking with her like always. Before she could move to go inside the classroom, he stopped her.

"Hey, Babs. I'm sorry about the call last night. Something came up with Bruce and I didn't have my phone so I didn't see any of your missed calls until like one in the morning." He shifted on his feet, hand rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Oh, uhm, you're good. I was just worried about you. Sorry for like spazzing out your phone." She smiled. He smiled back, before turning around to make his way to his class.

"Uh, Dick?" She called into the hallway. He stopped and turned back to her. "Park this Saturday?" She asked.

His face lit up, and he threw two thumbs up in confirmation, before continuing down the hall.

She watched him walk away, before finally making it inside her classroom. A wide smile adorned her face; she felt almost giddy. She really had missed him.


	2. Stood Up

Barbara huffed as she sat atop the cherry colored monkey bars, legs dangling. She idly chipped away at the paint beside her, digging into it with her nail. She rubbed her face gently, and smoothed out the skirt of her yellow sundress, before checking her phone for what seemed like the thousandth time in the past hour. Biting her lip, she turned it off and rolled her eyes. Still no word from Dick.

The sun that had shone brightly when she arrived had started its descent back beneath the horizon, and the sky had begun to turn into a vermillion orange. Closing her eyes and letting out a disappointed sigh, she pushed herself up from her position and grabbed the edge of the bars, swinging down onto the mulch below.

She couldn't believe he actually stood her up. It's been weeks since they'd done anything together, and she had been so excited when he confirmed the plans. He seemed just as happy to be able to hang out – guess not. At least when he's had to cancel before he had the decency to send her a text.

She briskly began marching towards the park's exit, sending a message to her dad as she left to let him know she's on her way back. She messed with the hem of her dress as she walked, trying to ignore the feeling of hot tears brimming the corners of her eyes. She wiped them away with her arm before they had the chance to fall, chewing on her bottom lip anxiously.

Maybe he was actually replacing her. Maybe she wasn't enough for him anymore, she wasn't a good enough friend. She wasn't rich enough or pretty enough or funny enough. He got tired of hearing about her dad or her problems or her scholarship. Oh god. Was she going to lose her scholarship?

Opening her phone once more, she pulled up Dick's messages. She sent a quick "Great to see you" text, before clicking on his contact and hitting the block button. If he didn't have time for her, she didn't have time for his halfhearted excuses.

She made her way to her apartment as fast as she could, swiftly avoiding any areas known for violence. She jumbled with her keys quietly as she approached the door, pushing the door open and slamming it shut hastily. She stalked into her bedroom and locked the door, pulling off her dress and throwing on her pajama shirt from last night.

After getting changed, she continued to stand, eyeing her bedroom distastefully. As she looked around at her room, every corner filled with memories, the tears from earlier returned full force. They were running down her cheeks, flowing freely, and she couldn't be bothered to wipe them away.

In a surge of emotion, she raced into the kitchen, grabbing a garbage bag, and stomped back. She rushed around the room, pulling off polaroids from the walls, knickknacks from the bookshelf, and jewelry from her vanity. She pulled out shoes and candies and cards, throwing everything into the plastic bag harshly. As she made her way around, she stopped before her bedside table, her gaze fixed at the picture sitting there. His face beamed up at her. She gently dropped the bag to the ground and reached out for it. She stared at it intently in her hand, before biting her lip angrily, brows furrowed, and chucking it into the wall. She could hear the wood of the frame crack.

She let out a quiet sob and climbed into her bed, huddling into the covers. She grabbed her phone from beside her and went into her contacts, briskly finding Bette's number and hitting the video call button.

"Hey-looo," Bette greeted sweetly, and Barbara could hear the smile in her voice as clearly as she could see it on her face. At least one of her friends was eager to talk to her.

"Bette?" She croaks softly, looking up from her pillow into the camera.

"Barb? Are you okay? What's going on?" Bette questioned frantically, her voice gentle and concerned. It almost made Barbara want to cry more.

"It's Dick." She says, rolling over onto her back. She moved her arm over her eyes and exhaled through her nose, frustrated. Her tears were still leaking, wetting both her face and arm.

"Dick? What did he do?" Bette asked, nose scrunched up in confusion. "Wait, Barb, hold on. Let me go into my room."

The screen went blurry for a few seconds, before Bette reappeared. The camera bounced as she sat down, before steadying and focusing on her face.

"Okay, we're good. Now, Dick. What did he do?" She repeated, eyes shining in sympathy. Barbara could only imagine what a mess she looks like right now.

"Well, we were going to go to the park – our park – today." She started, setting her phone on the pillow beside her and wiping off her face with her collar.

"Did you finally tell him?" Bette questioned almost eagerly. "Did he, like, react badly?"

"Wha-" Barbara's eyebrow raised in confusion. "Did I tell him what?"

"Oh, uh, never mind. So what happened?"

"He stood me up, Bette. He stood me up!" Barbara replied, frustrated.

"He – oh. Oh." Came Bette's understanding response, her head nodding. "What a…Dick."

"You can say that again," She scoffed, staring at her ceiling.

"Have you tried calling him or something? Maybe he just got busy," The blonde tried.

"He's just gotten busy for months! I never even see him anymore. I thought I was supposed to mean something to him? What happened to being best friends?" She let out a small sniffle. "He probably just got tired of me."

"Yeah…you're right, you guys haven't been as close; but you should at least talk to him before you go assuming things. Dick Grayson is the last person alive who would ever get tired of you," Bette smiled warmly.

"I guess I can try and ask him on Monday," She gave in, rolling over to get more comfortable.

Bette smiled encouragingly. "Good. Now you, girly, need to get some rest. Go get yourself some comfort food and Disney movies and get your butt to sleep. I need my friends in prime condition."

A grin broke onto Barbara's face. "Yeah, I do. Thank you, Bette. I love you," She yawned. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Barb. I love you too." Bette smiled.

Her phone screen went blank, signaling the end of the call. With a groan, she willed herself to sit up, scratching the top of her head lightly. She slowly made her way to the apartment's kitchen with slumped shoulders, grabbing a premade sub from the fridge, and plopping down on the sofa.

She grabbed the remote from the coffee table in front of her, and flipped through the channels until a news story grabbed her attention. It was something on Batman and Robin. The camera showed a broken up warehouse by the harbor, surrounded by at least twenty emergency vehicles. Various shots of the heroes were pictured as the host spoke of a sex trafficking bust earlier in the evening.

She finished the sandwich just as the news went off, its successor a late night talk show she didn't find herself interested in. She turned off the TV with a quiet click, and dusted off the crumbs that had ended up on her clothes. She stood up with a sigh, and made her way back into her darkened room. She navigated through the black room with her arms out, and climbed into her bed with closed eyes. She fell asleep to the quiet creaking of her ceiling fan echoing through the space.

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open as she awoke to a loud thumping noise resonating in her ears. She blinked as she processed the sound, and sat up slowly, rubbing the gunk out of her eyes. Suspiciously, she scanned her now barren bedroom for the source of the noise. Her eyes narrowed as they landed on the large window inhabiting the wall to her right.

She stood up, curious, and silently inched towards the glass. Her heartbeat quickened as she got closer, eyes frantically looking around the outside fire escape. She relaxed when she couldn't see anything, turning around to make her way back to bed.

As she walked, she heard the smooth sound of her window sliding open – and instinctively let out a shrill shriek. She whipped around, eyes wide, and stared at her open window where a figure was now perched.

"Hiya," The figure – a male – smirked, and she could feel his eyes bore into her, despite not being able to make out any of his features.

She let out a hushed whimper, backing away until she felt herself pressed against the side of her mattress. She stared at the man as he slowly got down from his crouching position, and found his footing on her carpet. She took in a breath through her nose, eyes wide.

"Hey, hey, hey. It's okay." He assured, beginning to step towards her. She resisted the urge to climb over her bed and bolt to her dad's room, finding herself glued to her spot. The closer he got, the better she could make out his shape, and hear his voice.

He was short – at least, shorter than she had expected. He couldn't have been taller than her height – if anything, he was shorter. His voice was fairly high, but still distinctly male. He couldn't have been older than fifteen.

"I'm a good guy! I'm a good guy, I promise. It's me! Robin! Y'know, Batman and Robin? Dynamic Duo? Saved a bunch of girls earlier? That Robin?"

As he approached further, she could make out the details of the Robin costume she's seen on the news so many times. The domino mask, the 'R' stitched on his chest, the yellow utility belt – all of it.

"Wha-why are you here?" She breathed, her eyes filled with both disbelief and wonder.

"I-well, I wanted to talk to you." Robin admitted reluctantly. He rubbed at the nape of his neck, seemingly nervous, and the action couldn't help but feel familiar.

"Me? Why do you want to talk to me?" She questioned, brows furrowed. It's not like she could give him any information.

"I've heard a lot about you." He smiled. "Your dad really does speak highly of you."

"My dad talks about me? To you!?" She sputtered, embarrassed. It really was her dad's mission in life to ruin hers, wasn't it?

"Well, uh, to Batman, yeah. Listen, I'm really not supposed to be here right now-"

He was cut off by a rustling coming from the living room, and both of their eyes shot straight to her door. She cursed inwardly – her dad must have heard them.

His eyes went wide behind his mask, and he became visibly frantic. "Okay, Barbara, I just really needed to tell you that...sometimes things don't work out. No matter how much you want them to, and that it's nobody's fault. And that…the people you surround yourself with, they really care about you. You mean everything to them, even if it's hard to show sometimes. Please don't give up on them."

Before she could ask what he was on about, her bedroom door was flung open. The wood smacked against the wall behind it nosily, extenuating her father's panicked face perfectly as he stood in her doorway.

"Whoever's in here, I have a gun!" He barked, eyes wild as he swept the room for the intruder.

Robin's arms shot up in surrender hurriedly, and he quickly made it to where her dad could see him. "Commissioner!" He exclaimed, grinning.

"Robin?" He questioned, the surprise evident on his face. His expression quickly turned suspicious, and his eyes danced between Robin and herself. "What are you doing in my daughter's bedroom?"

Robin smiled uneasily, obviously uncomfortable at the implications. "I was looking for you, commissioner."

Her dad's eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"Bats sent me to report to you on the case – he got caught up in the cave. I was trying to get into the living room – I guess I read the blueprints wrong." He said, sheepish.

"Oh, okay." Her dad's tense shoulders visibly relaxed. "Come on then, boy." His eyes shot to her quickly, before returning to Robin. "We can talk in my office."

Her dad called out a quick "Goodnight, Barb!" from over his shoulder, and Robin followed him out the door. As he left, she heard a "Nice talking to you, Babs!" muffled by the growing distance.

Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open in confusion. _Babs?_


End file.
